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James, Jennifer, Georgina. Are the Butlers. Father, mother, daughter.
The autobiography of a family.
An autopsy of book design.
A story
Written between the lines of 1136 meticulously documented postcards, spanning ten years of travel, is the tale of the Butler family. It is a story of abandonment and love, of sickness and health, and of a marriage in transit.
In this bright-yellow, 1200-page volume, world-renowned designer Irma Boom carefully and thoroughly retraces the journey of a lifetime. Her Yellow Book is a monument to book design, and an epic family portrait.
A story in postcards
From 1989 to 1999, James and I drove 270,000 miles together. As the roads unrolled, I would think about our daughter Georgina, about what to tell her. We travelled to save James and to protect our daughter. And every day we were apart I wrote to her.
The first act of the book—an exquisitely printed selection of postcards, penned in Jennifer’s steady hand, with James’ irregular interjections—sets the calm, but relentless pace, in which the Butlers confront their obstacles; mile by mile, stamp by stamp, one day at a time.
Stamped this month in 1990
Tuesday, 31 July 1990, Granny’s 78th birthday
I was always the King of the Elephants.
Tuesday, 31 July 1990, Granny’s 78th birthday
Everyone is thinking about your first birthday: I’m also thinking about your twenty-first. This first year has gone so quickly I fear the race over the next twenty. I hope you can keep up with us.
Stamped this month in 1991
Monday, 1 July 1991
The hotel is on a pond, which is full of ducks and mosquitoes. I wish one would eat the other.
Tuesday, 2 July 1991
Daddy was super-duper: translated, paced up and down in the shop and paid the bill!
Wednesday, 7 August 1991, GEB’s 2nd birthday
We’re here and you’re there which is a terrible situation on the occasion.
Stamped this month in 1992
Sunday, 5 July 1992
André Agassi (USA) won Wimbledon in 5 sets.
Stamped this month in 1993
Lundi, le 12 juillet 1993
How the neighbourhood has changed in 2 years. Luigi’s Enoteca is now Luigi’s Pizzeria. St Stephan’s Hospital has opened, the post office has new premises next to St Stephan’s. Sam Browne’s is now Fast Florist. Hart’s has opened to compete with Cullen’s and Europa and on and on...
Vendredi, le 16 juillet 1993
Daddy’s new car is better than good although driving Daddy is less than good. ‘Change lanes.’ ‘Don’t change lanes.’ ‘Overtake.’ ‘Don’t overtake.” ‘You’re driving in 3rd.’ ‘You’re still driving in 3rd.’ ‘You’re driving over 90 Kph.’ We have to gently break in the diesel over 1500 kilometres but by the time we got to Dover I was ready to not very gently break Papa’s head in!” (I didn’t remind him of his DUI. I showed grace)
Stamped this month in 1995
Tuesday, 4 July 1995, Independence Day
This has been quite a day. Tout d’abord our service at St. Paul’s, Knightsbridge, to renew our vows. Chris Courtauld officiating.
Stamped this month in 1996
Londres, mercredi, 10 July 1996
You remind me of Tinkerbell in your costume.
Dimanche, 14 July 1996
Do you think you will ever read my love notes, my postcards?
Lundi, 15 July 1996
‘Traviata’ live in The Piazza. Wonderful Verdi. Angela Gheorghiu as Violetta. Robert Alegna as Alfredo.
Stamped this month in 1997
Samedi, le 12 juillet 1997
The smell of the cheese was so strong that we had to drive at 180 kms to get away from the smell. We won £63.00 on the lottery!
Chablis, mercredi, le 16 juillet 1997
Versace was murdered yesterday in Miami.
A story in many postcards
As many days as there are clouds.
October 1989
November 1989
December 1989
January 1990
March 1990
May 1990
June 1990
July 1990
August 1990
September 1990
November 1990
February 1991
March 1991
April 1991
May 1991
June 1991
July 1991
August 1991
October 1991
November 1991
A story with conversations
The second act of the saga takes place a decade after the Butlers’ journey ends, when their daughter Georgina is coming of age. In 21 transcribed, informal conversations, the family openly and honestly discusses their shared history, recorded on the postcards.
Conversation Twenty-one [Excerpt]
James Jennifer Georgina
Manor Farm, Dorset, Friday, 21 May, 2010
Jennifer It’s the last dialogue and the theme—surprise, surprise—is the postcards. I’ve read and reread the postcards so many times.
Georgina When did we start keeping them? Why weren’t they thrown out?
Jennifer My intent was always to give you a history of me, of us, of Dad because I was denied that. I don’t even have a photograph of me with my mother. Not one. YES. I wanted someone to know I became part of a family and, as it turned out, a very ancient family. My life began with me. I have no information about my ancestors. So I married a husband with a great ancestry. [Uncertain if this is funny or sad]
James I think Mumm did have a lot of guilt about being away so much. It was complicated. It was a way of keeping in touch and keeping me alive.
Georgina Why did the postcards stop?
A story about family
I don’t remember you and Dad at all before seven.
In the third, and last act of the book, the Butlers’ story is presented in yet a different way. An intimate selection of pictures from family albums, depicts the protagonists, as their lives unfold, both separately and together.
A book
In this exclusive, limited-edition tome, internationally acclaimed bookmaker Irma Boom explores narrative structure and storytelling, in relation to graphic design. Respectfully, yet uncompromisingly, she captures the true story of a family; its beauty, but also its reality.
As equally extraordinary and innovative as the narrative structure, is the design of the rich yellow object itself. A unique three part spine was especially developed for this nine centimeters-thick book, allowing it to open effortlessly at any page.
A book by Irma Boom
Amsterdam-based graphic designer Irma Boom's prolific and influential body of work (currently consisting of over 250 books) focuses on the elemental and formal aspects of book design—size, paper, structure, and binding—in relation to the content. During a time when the lineage of book printing history is rapidly changing course, Irma’s designs have brought her international recognition, and commissions including Chanel, Ferrari and the United Nations. She has received numerous honors and awards, including the prestigious Gutenberg‑Preis and Johannes Vermeer Prijs. Irma’s work has been exhibited in museums worldwide, and is included in the permanent collections of the MoMA, and the University of Amsterdam.
A book as a portrait
During the creation of this book, which entailed an intensive, three-year collaboration between Irma Boom and the Butlers, she invited renowned Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf to make portraits of the family, in his signature style.
A book of the Butlers
I have come back to the family.
Purchase
ISBN 978-0-9566266-0-8
Unsigned editions of James Jennifer Georgina for € 666.
Signed editions of James Jennifer Georgina for € 3000.
Display copies of James Jennifer Georgina are available at the following bookstores, museums and collections:
New York
MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art)
11 West 53 Street
New York, New York 10019-5497
+1 212 7089400
http://moma.org
Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60603-6404
+1 312 4433600
http://artic.edu
Paris
The American Library in Paris
10, rue du Général Camou
75007 Paris
+33 1 53591260
http://americanlibraryinparis.org
Amsterdam
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Museumplein 10
1071 DJ Amsterdam
+31 20 5732911
http://stedelijk.nl
UvA Special Collections
Oude Turfmarkt 129
1012 GC Amsterdam
+31 20 5257300
http://bijzonderecollecties.uva.nl
Nijhof & Lee
Oude Turfmarkt 129
1012 GC Amsterdam
+31 20 5257300
http://www.nijhoflee.nl
Eindhoven
Van Abbemuseum
Bilderdijklaan 10
5611 NH Eindhoven
+31 40 2381000
http://vanabbemuseum.nl
Contact
Erasmus Publishing Limited
Manor Farm
West Chelborough
Dorset, DT2 0PY
United Kingdom
Phone +44 1935 83790
Email info@erasmuspublishing.com
Website erasmuspublishing.com
Colophon
Book design and concept by Irma Boom, http://irmaboom.nl
With photos by Erwin Olaf, http://www.erwinolaf.com
Website design and texts by Joris Landman, http://jorislandman.com
Product photos by Ivan Jones, http://ivan-jones.co.uk
Published by Erasmus Publishing Limited, http://erasmuspublishing.com
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